Henry “Hank” Aaron (1934-2021), 1954 Topps Rookie Baseball Card.
Aaron made his Major League debut in 1954 when a spring training injury to a Braves outfielder created a roster spot for him. “Hammerin’ Hank” was a star with the Milwaukee (and then Atlanta) Braves who, in 1974, was the first player to break Babe Ruth’s seemingly untouchable home run record of 714.
The Braves office received some 3,000 letters per day of either support or derision – some with death threats should a black player break the sport’s most sacred record. Hank retired with a total of 755 round-trippers in his illustrious career.